Sunday, February 10, 2013

DBJ's six-pack for game 12: Edmonton

The Columbus Blue Jackets continued their six-game home stand with a 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers in regulation at Nationwide Arena. They played in front of an announced crowd of 14,364.

Let's call it like it is from a playoffs perspective. At the quarter-pole of the 2013 season, the 2013-14 preseason has commenced. Talk all you want about how the team has progressed or regressed...it will matter in October. (Or on June 30 at the NHL draft...)

Here's to you, 2013 season!

1. Beer number one goes to the scheduling genius that decided to put tonight's game at 6:00. Not 7:00, like the rest of the entire evening schedule less the 7:30 start for the NBC Sports Network game. Not 1:00 or 2:00 like a true matinee. Nope, it was 6:00 - which meant that I turned on the TV at 7:00...to see the last five minutes of the second period. So this recap is hampered by the sad fact that I watched less than half of the game.

2. Beer number two goes to James Wisniewski. Never mind that Wiz's play apparently was the leading cause of the first two Edmonton goals, never mind that his eggs were probably scrambled enough that he likely thought he was back playing for the Canadiens, never mind that his wife is expecting their (first?) child any minute now...he came back. Concussions are terrible injuries with long-ranging consequences if not allowed to heal properly, so I'll let the medical staff live with their decisions and step aside so the fan-boys offer up the obligatory "Wiz is a warrior" platitudes.

3. Beer number three goes to he of the $4.6 million cap hit, R.J. Umberger, for letting an entire quarter of this abbreviated season go by before notching his first goal (and second point!) of the season. Bravo!

Now, let's work on Mr. $4.2 million cap hit, Brandon Dubinsky (who, to his credit, has five assists to paper over his lack of goal scoring)...

4. Beer number four goes to the architect of the team defensive plan for the game. Takes skill to hold a team of scoring-happy teenagers to 14 shots. In fact, a slightly larger point: The CBJ defensive approach has been interesting in that it has taken teams that look pretty good in other games and occasionally made them look mediocre-to-poor. Not every game, mind you (with some disastrous results), but occasionally. Which is saying something when your team is 3-7-2. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable than I (Morgan?) can elaborate.

Anyhoo, I've enjoyed watching Edmonton running and gunning in other games, and the Blue Jackets made them look downright pedestrian - if not boring.

5. Beer number five goes to the Hockey Jobu, who deserves an equal amount of credit for taking a CBJ team with 40 shots on the night and holding them to a single goal. That shrunken-headed totem has this team's shooting psyche in a vice grip.

6. Beer number six goes to the third jersies. Eight-bit lettering and numbering aside, those are some great sweaters. They've really grown on me.

WERE THE BLUE JACKETS OUTWORKED? They outshoot Edmonton 40-14 and you expect me to say "Yes"? Hell NO...which, once again, proves that effort alone won't win you games. Or get you out of your conference cellar.

NEXT UP: The 2013-14 preseason rolls on with a visit from the San Jose Sharks on Monday night at Nationwide Arena. Lest anyone be confused by tonight's game, puck drops at 7:00PM.

THE LAST WORD: Let's give it to Fat Axl, who reminds us what this season is all about:

Entirely unrelated to the game itself, I have to ask: do I stand alone in my general dislike for the third jerseys? I find them really bland and boring (they look like every other blue team with a circle-logo), especially when the regular home kits are so excellent. I'm always a bit annoyed when I tune in and find the regular logo missing. The more they wear the 3rds, the less and less I like them (evolving from an initial "oh alright" to a now more disgusted tone).

Obviously this is a matter of personal taste, so here's my take. While I find the current regular sweaters to be perfectly fine, I enjoy the more direct thematic linkage to the "Blue Jackets" moniker (the flag/star combo not really meaning more than "We're from Ohio!") and the Habs-style "traditional" striping in opposition to the Reebok Edge striping. I think the shoulder yokes and striping could very well be construed as looking like every other team, though, so I get where you're coming from.

It's a nice changeup in my book and, with some fine tuning to things like the letters/numbers, could be a reasonable template for a permanent uniform.

@zekebud - The color scheme of the third jersey has grown on me, but I sincerely dislike the logo. It's lame. Circle, Cannon, YAWN. Also, If the team went to straight-up block lettering instead of trying yet another font that is awful, I would like them more. However, I do every much like the regular home and away jerseys as they are, and think they are some of the best in hockey - albeit with that weird font...